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Song List for the New Band!
- Thread starter 51PRI
- Start date
That looks like the Setlist shared by every single classic rock cover band in my town! If you lived here, you’d either get a lot of work, or maybe find that your band was being confused with every other band because they all have the same repertoire.
This looks like a list of songs you all know already. How many of these does everyone need to learn? A new band has the chance to put together something that isn't mostly songs that have been done to death. I would cull out a third of these and find something more interesting. Start with Brown Sugar. Nobody needs to be playing that anymore.
There's a lot of good songs on that list for sure.
But most are played to death by now and just...old.
I suppose it depends what audience you're chasing, but a few more songs from this century might be worth considering.
I'm trying to look at that list like a venue manager and I'm thinking "same old same old".
Now maybe that's what you're aiming for of course, and if so, great, that's a fine classic country/rock standards set, but me, I'd love to change it up a bit.
Maybe throw in some Nathaniel Rateliffe, Raconteurs, Chappel Roan, Haim, St. Vincent, Riptide Movement, RHCP, Cranberries, Alabama Shakes, Green Day, Foo Fighters, Fall Out Boy, Weezer ...I dunno, some stuff folks in their 20's/30's might know.
But most are played to death by now and just...old.
I suppose it depends what audience you're chasing, but a few more songs from this century might be worth considering.
I'm trying to look at that list like a venue manager and I'm thinking "same old same old".
Now maybe that's what you're aiming for of course, and if so, great, that's a fine classic country/rock standards set, but me, I'd love to change it up a bit.
Maybe throw in some Nathaniel Rateliffe, Raconteurs, Chappel Roan, Haim, St. Vincent, Riptide Movement, RHCP, Cranberries, Alabama Shakes, Green Day, Foo Fighters, Fall Out Boy, Weezer ...I dunno, some stuff folks in their 20's/30's might know.
Just a very minor suggestion but if you're going to play both songs maybe do Ziggy Stardust right into Suffragette City. I was in one band that did this. It works on the Ziggy album and works for a live cover band as well.
Well, they could be playing retirement communities, we don’t know.
Kudos for the Storyville tunes. 'Played "Good Day for The Blues" as a set opener with a band a week ago. It went over well.
Do you have a female vocalist who can really pull off the sultry nuances of Etta's version of "If You Want Me to Stay"? Do you have a truly well-disciplined piano player? If no to either, better to stick with the more upbeat Sly version. Even if you stick with the Etta James version, make sure it says "Sly and The Family Stone" on anything you give a bar owner or buyer if you don't want to muddy the message.
Both rhythm and chorus on "If The House is Rockin'" is so similar to the better known "House is Rockin'" written 6 years earlier by Doyle Bramhall and Stevie Ray Vaughan, I'd cover the SRV version unless someone could really sing and sell the country aspect of Parnell's.
Four Tom Petty songs? That's almost 10% of your setlist. 2-3 songs max per artist is a good rule unless you're going to be a tribute act.
What defines "Can't By Me Love" are the 2-part vocal harmonies between Lennon and McCartney. If you can pull them off, go for it; If not, don't even try.
"Born on The Bayou" needs a dramatic vocalist who can really belt it out. I've done it multiple times with high-level players. The ONLY times it has NOT been regarded as filler by the audience have been with that kind of singer.
Just a nit-pick: "Mustang Sally" is considered a Wilson Picket song, not a Muscle Shoals one. Picket's name was on the hit release (it was actually written by Sir Mack Rice). While the house band at Fame recording studios in Muscle Shoals played on it, they also played on thousands of other recordings. Attributing it to "Muscle Shoals" is like saying "Good Vibrations" is a Wrecking Crew song. Your just going to confuse bar owners with that list.
"Rocket Man"? Cool. I'd stick around to hear that done well.
Regarding the whole setlist, it's a start. Whether it works or not is going to depend on your ability as a band to lean into it and make it your own.
Unless you're going to try to do everything note-for-note cover style. If so, better have the vocals, instrumentation, touch, timing and tone to back it up or you'll be serving up dreck like every other classic rock cover band out there.
Do you have a female vocalist who can really pull off the sultry nuances of Etta's version of "If You Want Me to Stay"? Do you have a truly well-disciplined piano player? If no to either, better to stick with the more upbeat Sly version. Even if you stick with the Etta James version, make sure it says "Sly and The Family Stone" on anything you give a bar owner or buyer if you don't want to muddy the message.
Both rhythm and chorus on "If The House is Rockin'" is so similar to the better known "House is Rockin'" written 6 years earlier by Doyle Bramhall and Stevie Ray Vaughan, I'd cover the SRV version unless someone could really sing and sell the country aspect of Parnell's.
Four Tom Petty songs? That's almost 10% of your setlist. 2-3 songs max per artist is a good rule unless you're going to be a tribute act.
What defines "Can't By Me Love" are the 2-part vocal harmonies between Lennon and McCartney. If you can pull them off, go for it; If not, don't even try.
"Born on The Bayou" needs a dramatic vocalist who can really belt it out. I've done it multiple times with high-level players. The ONLY times it has NOT been regarded as filler by the audience have been with that kind of singer.
Just a nit-pick: "Mustang Sally" is considered a Wilson Picket song, not a Muscle Shoals one. Picket's name was on the hit release (it was actually written by Sir Mack Rice). While the house band at Fame recording studios in Muscle Shoals played on it, they also played on thousands of other recordings. Attributing it to "Muscle Shoals" is like saying "Good Vibrations" is a Wrecking Crew song. Your just going to confuse bar owners with that list.
"Rocket Man"? Cool. I'd stick around to hear that done well.
Regarding the whole setlist, it's a start. Whether it works or not is going to depend on your ability as a band to lean into it and make it your own.
Unless you're going to try to do everything note-for-note cover style. If so, better have the vocals, instrumentation, touch, timing and tone to back it up or you'll be serving up dreck like every other classic rock cover band out there.
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I agree mostly but IMO 4 Tom Petty songs are not too many. Everyone likes Tom Petty and they always go over well. You could even play like 2 or 3 in a row with no problem.
I've only played 19 of these songs. Although most of these would be known by many listeners they are new to me.
Yeah, we're doing that.
Did you know that Malford Milligan was a contestant on The Voice and didn't get a single chair turn. I recognized him, of course, but none of "the stars" did.
The guitar player brought in that version of Mustang Sally. He found it on a Muscle Shoals tribute album of some kind and didn't actually know who the artist was. That's why I put Muscle Shoals. I've found the version on YT though. It's by a guy named Brent Smith. Tricky triplets in the chorus. Our guitar player was upset because, being the only guitarist, he wouldn't be able to play both intro guitar parts. I told him not to worry about it because nobody in the audience will have heard of that version anyway. I didn't mind to learn this version but I don't see the big point either, really. That's one of the oldest chestnuts in the cover band play book. Every band knows it and so does every audience member. Versions don't matter IMO.
The version really doesn't matter. Even if you pride yourselves on doing covers by the book, why not have fun and do your own thing with Mustang Sally. I've seen a few bands take a very different swing at it with great response from the audience.
That's Brent Smith's version from a Muscle Shoals tribute album of hits recorded at Fame Studios, nothing more. If you provide your setlist to venues, best change that to Wilson Picket. (personally, I don't like to provide full setlists to venues)
I don't understand your comment about your guitarist not being able to play both intro parts. There's a clean riff, then a clean double-stop riff that's then got an overdriven riff that overlays the second time round on the double stop - by then the double stop is faded almost away and the piano becomes more prominent playing basically the same thing as the double stop riff. By the time you get to the second round, the double-stop riff can even be omitted if you don't have a second guitar or keyboard player - it's so ingrained in everyone's heads based on familiarity that it's superfluous.
Though who cares? It's not a version anyone's going to be that familiar with anyway - just make it your own. Like you said, versions on this song don't matter.
BTW, I could easily play the clean, double-stop then overdriven riff and make it sound seamless enough to work like that version - and I haven't picked up a guitar in months; My current skill level on guitar would put me in the bottom half of the pack of semi-regular-gigging players around here.
Yeah, but you're in DFW where "OK sight readers" read down Supersax charts at tempo and make no clams.
I am a barely acceptable sight reader in Dallas; when I moved to Boston all of a sudden guys were astonished at what I could read down. Moved back to Dallas and I'm back in the lower half of the lower half of the lower half of the pack.
If there are any of these songs on this list your don’t know how to play I’m going to recommend the App Chordify. I use this for learning all my material. You can load all these songs in and play along with them. It’s better than Spotify as it comes with instant cueing and the ability to slow down the speed of the song for working on difficult to master parts.
Congrats and best wishes on your next musical venture.
I don't know about Boston vs DFW sight reading, though with Berkley in Boston, I'd be surprised.
I haven't site-read anything since I was a kid in piano lessons, nor is it a skill required of most working guitarists or bassists. The once or twice I was given standard notation, it was take-home-and-learn. The ability to "site read" read basic chord charts and Nashville numbers is in much higher demand among these instruments. Even keyboard players are using chord charts - that's what's most readily available from BL's and easiest to pull up on apps like iReal Pro.
Not to say site reading is not a required skill by some - To your point, horn player charts are almost exclusively in standard notation - it's just not so much with other instruments in the local bar and function band scene.
My post wasn't meant to be a humble brag, BTW, it was just to say that "playing both intro parts" of the song in question would only require average guitar skills.
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Thanks. I appreciate it.
I played "Island in the Sun" for the band and they had never heard it. One of the bands I was in prior to 2020 did a lot of newer material, but these guys won't be familiar with any of these artists that you mentioned. I don't think they listen to Top 40 or current music at all. I encounter a lot of older player who are that way.
If they are fairly competent they shouldn’t have too much trouble nailing down this set list. As a a boomer, in general the song forms of older material is somewhat simpler.
If I got a set like that it would be for a pick up band for the most part.
The only way that would have a chance of being fun would be if you have a couple of killer players or/and a singer.
For a rehearsed band? no.
The band is playing to an old crowd with that list and tbf, those guys are the ones still going to gigs...but they might also be more discerning and can do without your filler.
If its a party for older guys/girls you might get away with it...but for other gigs, you'd get slaughtered.
However...picking a list is difficult and you'd be forgiven on a couple of tracks...just a couple, ime.
FWIW... one of my bands would only pull out Beatles and Stones etc to the exact right crowd or requests.
The other band..not at all.
At the moment, bands round here are party bands which means the same set everyone else can't play that well but the popularity of the song gets them by.
Or solos...who are actually killing music because no one takes any notice.
..but they are cheap.
But if you know your market..which everyone should... you should be able to plot a course through it.
I can't imagine an experienced bunch of players loving that list unless they can really do something with it though.
Makes me wonder who put those tracks up ...and why
The only way that would have a chance of being fun would be if you have a couple of killer players or/and a singer.
For a rehearsed band? no.
The band is playing to an old crowd with that list and tbf, those guys are the ones still going to gigs...but they might also be more discerning and can do without your filler.
If its a party for older guys/girls you might get away with it...but for other gigs, you'd get slaughtered.
However...picking a list is difficult and you'd be forgiven on a couple of tracks...just a couple, ime.
FWIW... one of my bands would only pull out Beatles and Stones etc to the exact right crowd or requests.
The other band..not at all.
At the moment, bands round here are party bands which means the same set everyone else can't play that well but the popularity of the song gets them by.
Or solos...who are actually killing music because no one takes any notice.
..but they are cheap.
But if you know your market..which everyone should... you should be able to plot a course through it.
I can't imagine an experienced bunch of players loving that list unless they can really do something with it though.
Makes me wonder who put those tracks up ...and why
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We do "Satisfaction" strictly as a goof and it goes over well the few times we pull it out. Imagine an old-pooder, Willie-Nelson looking rancher aping Mick Jagger, It's friggin' hysterical.
OTOH, something about playing Stones covers seriously doesn't jive with "plotting a course" in my world either.
Unless it's "Dead Flowers" or "Sweet Virginia".
